Wheel bridging for bad roads



Au 7, 192a. 1,0143

C. F. W. FIEBKE WHEEL BRIDGING FOR BAD ROADS Filed Feb. 4, 1928 z?f. 7 m'il newe ,ev A

Patented Aug. 1928i.v

CARL IE. w. FIEBKE, 0F ATHENs, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR or ONE-TENTH ro osoaa RADEMACHER, OF WESTBORO, WISCONSIN.

WHEEL BRIDGING FGR BAD ROADS.

. Application filed February 4, 1928. serial No. 251,973.

This invention relates to devices for bridg-- ing over badportions ofroadsor devices for providing an effective bridging over mud holes and stretches of deep. sand or the like, andthe general object of the invention is to provide a relatively light track constructed of sheet metal, which may be placed over portions of a. bad road or placesvwhere there is no road or other stretches ofsand or mud and constitutes asurface over which vehicles may pass. V

A further object isto construct the bridging in sections which may be joined onto one another so as to form a continuous, smooth and interlocked roadway.

A still further object is to so construct the bridging as to prevent it from turning over.

Another object is to provide means for in- A terlocking the sections to each other so as-to v prevent any sagging or dislocation at the joints, and to provide a-bridging which may e readily taken up and the bridging stored or transported.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description. I

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: v

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing two sections of my'road bridge; I:

Figure 2 is a, transverse sectional view through one of said sections;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing two sections joined;

ofthebolts;

Figure- 5 is a plan view of the lock nut used in connection therewith.

- Referring to this drawing, it will be seen Figure 4 isa View of the extremity" of one i that my improved bridging is'fconstructed of a plurality of sheets of material, two sheets 7 being Ishowndesignatcd A and B.- .These are preferably made of sheet metal, the strength and thickness of the sheet metjalde pending upon the weight of the traffic likely to pass over this'particular stretch of roads way. If for heavy trucks,the bridging must" be wider andthicker than for lightautomobile traflic. Each section A and B has the same formin cross section, namely the sheet 10 has a depressed middle portion 11 which gradually risesupwardly and laterally, as at l2, thenis rounded,as at 13, downward and "outward and then extends steeply downward and outward, as at 14, so as to form a cutting edge" at the lateral ends of the sections middle ly 183 in width and have any desired length,

and preferably the lateral margins of the sections will extend about 1 below the level of the middle portion 11. It will be understood, of course, that there is a track for each wheel and that each wheel will travel in the depressed middle portion of the bridge or track; Extending transversely across the bridging below the sections is a truss rod 15in the form of a bolt havinga bolt head at one end and a lock nut at the other, this truss rod extending through the portions 14 and preferably bearing against the depressed portion 11. The middle portion 11 will be depressed approximately 3 thoughobviously I do not wish to be limited to the particular dimensions .Preferably, and in order to prevent the sections from tilting up, the sections'A and B, and this applies to other sections as well,

are formed to interlock. To this end, one

\ upon'this depressed portionso that the surfaces of the two sections are flush with each other. The flanges 14 of one section overlap the flanges of the adjacent section at this point and the truss rod 15 may pass through all four of these flanges, thus locking the sections at the joint. j

In order tofurther prevent any tendency .of one section'to rise with relationto the other section and to interlock thesections with each other, one of the sections as, for instance, the section B .is formed with a slit 17 which "extends parallel tothe end of the sectionand is located in the depressed por-' tion 16. The material in front of. this slit is slightly raised, as'at 18. The section A is formed with a tongue 19 defined by the two longitudinally extending 'slits 20. This tongue is depressed andwhen the end of the section A is placed over the adjacent end of the section B, the tongue 19 is inserted in the slit 1? and thus after the truss rod 15 is put in place the two sections are interlocked with each other so that they cannot have ini given a quarter turn which will lock the bolt in place until this action is reversed. The joint is now completed. At intervals of ten feet or so like bolts are inserted in thebridging for reinforcing purposes as at the joints,

The sections of the bridging may be of any desired length, and it is to be understood a that the bridging might be curved so as to follow bends and curves in the road. When the bolts are withdrawn, the bridging may be tal're'n up and the units placed one 'on top o flaii'other, making the bridging convenient for-{transportation and storage. The bridging ma be, used over any bad road or in any situation where it is necessary to bridge over a bad spot or a bad piece of land. Thus it may reused in'deep mud, deep sand, overholes, over wasliboard, efiects in roads, over new'coi'istructio'n, or where it is necessary to quicldy improvise a road. Horse-drawn vehicle's may also travel over this bridging Without the bridging being displaced Any number of units can be coupled together to make an length of track without sagring or dislocation'at the oints because of the ineansprwhereby the sections are 1nterlocked with each other. The wings formed by the downwardly and outwardly turned i lateral inargins of the bridging prevent the bridging froin turning over for three reasons, first because of the width and low construction of the. bridging, second because the extremity of each downwardly turned.

wing or flange will be forced into the ground While the middle 1 portion rests upon the ground, and third because the soft ground,

inud, inuck or the like'will pack or ridge 'up under each wing and this will have a tendency to suck downward upon the wing or upon the br dging as a'whole, thus holding it lIIPltlCG. A vehicle can leaveor enter thev track over: the wings or sides without tipping the bridging. V

- While I have illustrated an embodiment of inyinvention, I wish it understood that it might be varied in detail without depart-2 ing from the spirit thereof. Thus, for instance, it is possible to fold the inetal of the. bridge upward over or beneath the wings so as to provide a double thickness at. those portions of the bridge which support the weight. This is illustrated in the drawing, but obviously where a lighter bridge is needed this double thickness may be leftofl I-claini:? H V 1.v A wheeltrack consisting of a sheetof metal adapted to be laid down temporarily over a bad place in the road, the sheet having a depressedmiddle portion, upwardly and laterally inclined side portions, and downwardly extending lateral flanges, and bolts passing through said lateral flangesand beneath the middle portion and contacting with the middle portion. j l 2. A wheel track ,l oi roacls consisting of a plurality of sheet nietal sections adapted to be laid down temporarily overfa'bad place in the road, the sheet inetall sections having one a longitudinally projecting tongue and the other a slitwithin Iwhic'h'thefiongue engaged, and transversely extending bolts passing beneath the overlappedjends of the sections and engaging the sections with each other. i If -3. EL track for roads consisting of a plurality of sheet metal'sections adapted to be laid down temporarily over a bad place in} the road and having a depressedaniddle portion and downwardly extending side,

flan es one end or each.sectionbein deb w a r e V B pressed to receive the overlapped end. oi-

an adjacent section, the depressed portion be ing formed at its middle with 'a slit and the overlapping section being. formed at, its

middle with a tongue adapted to betiirned down and engage in saidslot, and a trans a plurality of sheet netal'sections adapted tobe laid down temporarily over; a bad place in the road, the sheet metalisections halving overlapping, interlocked, separable engage ment with each other at the endsaof the sections the middle portionofieach .section' being depressed andthe lateral portionsliav- 7 ing downwardly extending fl anges extending below the middle section and adapted was forced into the road, 'and b'olts extending through the overlapping lateral flanges of the sections and extendingbeneath and sup porting the middle portion' otthe overlap f ping sections. j w 1 v I testimony whereofI hereunto aiiix my signature; r

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